Re: Babylon 5: Deathwalker
Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:06 am
iirc. psychic powers never naturally occurred, rather the vorlons did some genetic manipulation of primitive species
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I'm not sure if it was ever stated that they couldn't occur naturally, just that the Vorlons sped up the processes in some species and probably gave it to some species that weren't going to develop that way. Psychics seem like their ace in the hole for this war otherwise the Mimbari would have probably remembered that Psychics were great versus Shadow Ships. If true then there is a chance the Vorlon actually learned about the vulnerability from the Narn when they used their telepaths to help drive the Shadows off their world in the last war (and then the Shadows killed all their telepaths in retaliation).ORCACommander wrote:iirc. psychic powers never naturally occurred, rather the vorlons did some genetic manipulation of primitive species
Wasn't the war specifically a war of extermination? By it's very definition, there'd be no POWs...FaxModem1 wrote:If it can be any type of sentient person, this might explain what happened to some human POWs during the Earth-Minbari war.Mickey_Rat15 wrote:So, how was Deathwalker making her serum during her time with the Wind Swords? Were they providing her with "ingredients"?
True, the Minbari probably killed all their prisoners. I'm just stipulating that it's possible that they turned over human wounded that they hadn't shot yet over to the Deathwalker.Madner Kami wrote:Wasn't the war specifically a war of extermination? By it's very definition, there'd be no POWs...FaxModem1 wrote:If it can be any type of sentient person, this might explain what happened to some human POWs during the Earth-Minbari war.Mickey_Rat15 wrote:So, how was Deathwalker making her serum during her time with the Wind Swords? Were they providing her with "ingredients"?
Yes, I know and that is precisely what I was trying to imply as well. Even if some humans got captured, be it for them surrendering, the Minbari running out of batteries for their rifles or some Minbari soldiers having scruples of just killing unarmed civilians, maybe a group of children for example, they wouldn't be interned by the Minbari state. How they'd die would make little difference to them, especially given how utterly incompassionate the Minbari appear to be at times and in particular during that war and I have no doubt, that "non-existing prisoners" were handed over to Deathwalker with the understanding or expectation, that they'd be killed by her in whatever way.FaxModem1 wrote:True, the Minbari probably killed all their prisoners. I'm just stipulating that it's possible that they turned over human wounded that they hadn't shot yet over to the Deathwalker.Madner Kami wrote:Wasn't the war specifically a war of extermination? By it's very definition, there'd be no POWs...FaxModem1 wrote:If it can be any type of sentient person, this might explain what happened to some human POWs during the Earth-Minbari war.Mickey_Rat15 wrote:So, how was Deathwalker making her serum during her time with the Wind Swords? Were they providing her with "ingredients"?
There are naturally occurring telepaths, but the Vorlons pick up the slack on any planet lacking in them. The Centauri, for instance, have species wide potential, even if it is extremely limited (the prophetic dreams), or half-telepaths like the seers. They were also never touched by the Vorlons, and have no angelic iconography, and their telepaths have certain ancient ceremonial functions, so all the evidence implies their telepaths are naturally occurring.CareerKnight wrote:I'm not sure if it was ever stated that they couldn't occur naturally, just that the Vorlons sped up the processes in some species and probably gave it to some species that weren't going to develop that way. Psychics seem like their ace in the hole for this war otherwise the Mimbari would have probably remembered that Psychics were great versus Shadow Ships. If true then there is a chance the Vorlon actually learned about the vulnerability from the Narn when they used their telepaths to help drive the Shadows off their world in the last war (and then the Shadows killed all their telepaths in retaliation).ORCACommander wrote:iirc. psychic powers never naturally occurred, rather the vorlons did some genetic manipulation of primitive species
That was always my understanding; she got mind-wiped, Kosh had a mind-backup of her, she eventually would have been restored by Kosh, and that's how she would become his acolyte. My understanding is that the actress started being a prima donna, JMS got sick of her, and Patricia Tallman suddenly became available again, so JMS decided to just leave Talia that way and bring Lyta back (which explains why we never had Talia show up as a villain like you'd expect with this type of this kind of plot development).excalibur wrote:A part of me thought the whole thing with Talia's mind being recorded by Kosh was for later where they could bring her back but I think they forgot about that subplot
Pretty sure that episode was created to write her out of the show and bring Lyta back in, not as something that was planned before and re-adapted. The main thing Kosh was recording was her fear response suggesting that the original idea was it was for insurance in case Talia's enhanced powers got out of hand or she acted against the Vorlons (how she got her powers enhanced creates a bit of a problem for the change since Ironheart should have noticed the dormant personality).Durandal_1707 wrote:That was always my understanding; she got mind-wiped, Kosh had a mind-backup of her, she eventually would have been restored by Kosh, and that's how she would become his acolyte. My understanding is that the actress started being a prima donna, JMS got sick of her, and Patricia Tallman suddenly became available again, so JMS decided to just leave Talia that way and bring Lyta back (which explains why we never had Talia show up as a villain like you'd expect with this type of this kind of plot development).
Imagine what a motivation that would have been for what eventually became the pissed-off-Lyta arc. Our heroes did this to Talia on purpose, and with out any plan whatsoever to save her (since it would have been Kosh doing it without their knowledge). I'd be fed up too.